


The Butterfly Effect

by Sheldon_Dysfunctional



Category: Amnesty - Fandom, The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Aubrey is a human UWU, Biological Dad AU, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, My First Work in This Fandom, Ned Chicane is a Nasty Crime boy, Ned Is Aubreys Dad And No One Can Stop Me, Oof what a start, Tears, lots of em'
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2020-01-15 02:34:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18489514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheldon_Dysfunctional/pseuds/Sheldon_Dysfunctional
Summary: Ned Chicane doesn't tell the truth very much.ORThe fic I couldn't find so I wrote it myselfORInspired by episode 24(?) where Aubrey's excuse for being at the morgue is that she is visiting a dead sibling, to which Ned automatically responds with him being her caretaker.





	1. Sins aren't hidden forever

"Mmmmm...," Aubrey mumbled groggily, her long, brown, curly hair falling in her face as she sat up in her bed rubbing her eyes. Her bleary eyes searched the room while pushing her annoying hair out of the way, trying to find the source of her sudden consciousness. Her eyes slowly focused in on a figure in her doorway. She did a panicked double take before realizing that the imposing figure was her father, standing there with a gentle smile on his face. Aubrey leaped out of bed, ignoring the sheets tangled at her feet as she sprinted and promptly face planted at her dad's feet. He chortled and grabbed her by her armpits and swinging her around. He brought her into a hug with one hand under her thighs, supporting her weight, and the other gently caressing her cascading curls.

 

 

The lovely moment was then interrupted by Aubrey's father, her own DNA, suddenly laying her on the floor, tickling her with all his might (Something she still holds a grudge to this day).

 

 

Aubrey started shrieking with laughter, snorting and giggling when he hit a certain spot. Apparently, it was too loud because dad muttered the forbidden S-word! (She would later scold him and make him put a quarter in the swear jar). Aubrey cocked her head to the side in confusion before hearing, "You better not be roughing up my girl too much." Aubrey's dad had turned and she could now see the smug look of her mother standing in front of her.

 

"Stand back, woman, or I will eat this young maiden," Her father said in a jokingly malice tone, holding her tighter.

 

 

Aubrey was all for this and shouted: "Help!". She giggled as she saw her Mom straighten out her back and spread her legs in a fighting stance. Throughout the night, the small family of three snorted and laughed as they chased each other around the house, or more specifically, Aubrey on her Dads back while her Mom ran after them with a broom. After many hours of this, the family collapsed on the living room floor all gasping for air while also still snickering. They all just lay there for a while, enjoying each other's company, when Aubrey's father's phone rang. He let out a frustrated sigh (It sounded more like a wheeze) and pushed himself up. He picked up the phone and started to stroke his big, dark, fluffy, brown beard in concentration. Suddenly his face lit up and he started to give approval to the other person on the phone.

 

Aubrey's Dad then hung up, turned to them, and said, "Well, duty calls, I'm afraid. Bo-, I mean, my partner has just come up with a major breakthrough and I need to head out immediately," he said whilst pulling on his jacket and scarf, "I don't plan on being back for a while. At least a few weeks I'm afraid.". Aubrey made a whining noise in protest (Her vocabulary had not grown very much in her father's absence), while her mother slowly and calmly turned to her.

 

"Aubrey, dear, it's much past your bedtime. Why don't you say goodbye to your father and head to bed, ok," she voiced, then turned to her husband, "Before you go I would like to talk to you in the Kitchen, Charles.". Aubrey stopped short when she heard her Mom refer to her Dad by his proper name, but nevertheless swiveled around in protest but quickly gave up after seeing her mom's face. Her body language was calm but her eyes hid roaring anger that needed to be released. Aubrey begrudgingly headed up to her room, stopping at the top step and sneaking back down to listen in on her parents' conversation.

 

"-he's finally found the jackpot, Victoria, the jackpot! This could do so much good for this family, and you're getting on me for leaving?"

 

"Oh, so now it's MY fault for caring about you. You've been home for 3 hours and you're leaving again? Are you out of your mind!?"

 

"This could make us rich, Vic, this is the one time I can be good for you. Have you ever thought about all of the debt we could pay off?"

 

"You mean all the debt YOU need to pay off. You never tell me anything, I don't even know what you do when your away. Have you ever even considered what this is doing to Aubrey, you know, your daughter?!"

 

Aubrey's mom was now on the verge of yelling in his face, the only thing keeping her from it was the hoax of Aubrey in bed, sleeping.

 

"Don't you dare bring her into this," Her father whisper-yelled, sending a death glare her way.

 

Her mom let out a choked laugh in disbelief. "Don't bring her into this? You haven't been bringing her into this since the day she was born, Charles, and you have the audacity to tell me to not bring her into this?"

 

Her father sputtered excuses for a minute, each one making Aubrey's mother angrier and angrier until she finally snapped. She mumbled something that her father did not catch.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," she glowered, "Get. Out. of. My .House.". At this, Aubrey slapped a hand over her mouth, suppressing a sob as she ran up the stairs as quietly as she could.

 

She didn't sleep much that night.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ned Chicane doesn't tell the truth very much. His marriage had only been kept together by lies. He had cheated on his wife many times with his partner in crime, Boyd Mosche, the only person in his life who knew who he really was. Not even Victoria knew his real name. She was married to Charles Little. Of course, he never cheated on his wife without regret, he was just gone for long periods of time and missed having the touch of another person. He loved his wife he really did. Except, maybe it wasn't romantic love that he felt with her. Maybe it was platonic. Who knows.

All the lies he had told throughout the years, that had laid out the path of his life, had led him to his daughter. The minute he was able to pry her from the arms of his thrashing wife, who was the currently occupied by defending the precious family air loom around her neck, he felt that all the sins he had committed, all the falsehoods he had told, had suddenly been pushed to the back of his mind when he looked into the dark chocolate brown eye's of his child. All he wanted to do was to protect her.

Throughout the years of her growing up, he was hardly ever there for her. He luckily got to see most of the important times, but he regretted not being able to just sit there, petting her hair and listening to the deep, shallow breaths of her sleeping form.

He was there at eleven, when she excitedly ran up to him and Victoria, announcing that she had a sudden interest in magic. He was there the first time she died her hair that unruly shade of red. He was there when she came out as Bisexual and he was there to support her. He was there when she came home, out of breath, telling them that she had rescued a bunny. He was there, rubbing her arm in comfort as she sobbed into his chest, only just a few minutes ago had she found out that her parents were getting a divorce. He was there, helping them pack their old house up, as Victoria got custody and was moving away (He never did get to see the house, a thought that will forever remain in his mind). And finally, he was here when they had their final meal together at his home before Aubrey would be leaving (in a few days) to pursue her dream of doing magic.

Aubrey's family looked tense that night, her mom rigidly placing the specially made salad in front of her as her Dad sat down with his drink. All she could do was stare at her plate and gently stroke Dr. Harris Bonkers, Ph.D.'s soft fur. The rabbit on her lap was twitching its nose uncontrollably, and she unconsciously started doing the same. Her mom had finally sat down and they all started to slowly chew on the salads when out of nowhere Aubrey's Dad groaned in frustration and stood up so fast he knocked his chair back. "I just don't understand, Aubrey. We've been pretty flexible with most of your decisions Aubrey, but this is such a huge risk! Why not go get your higher education while your young and still eager, than travel alone in a beat-up van, spending most of your earnings on cheap rabbit feed and dinky motels when you could go get a higher education or stay here and get money by babysitting the kids next door?”

Aubrey's mouth hung open slightly in disbelief and hurt as her eyes felt suspiciously wet. She pushed back the tears and attempted to keep her breath steady. “This... is my choice, Dad, and I'm sorry if it’s not what you want but this is my final decision and there's nothing you can do to change my mind. I don't want to spend four years of my life stuck in a place I don't want to be with someone I most likely will never see again afterward, only to end up in a cubicle for the rest of my life. No offense but that sounds like absolute torture,” she finished, surprising herself with the fact that her voice didn't crack once.

Aubrey’s Dad looked at her with shock, almost as if he didn't expect her to respond like that before it shifted into some form of disappointment. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish a few times before Aubrey’s Mother spoke up.

“...Aubrey, hun, I think it's about time we go home. You need to start packing and get some rest,” she mumbled, sounding tired. Aubrey's heart filled with sympathy for her.

Aubrey looked down at her untouched salad before sighing and standing up from her place at the table. She walked over to her dad and slid her arms under his and laying her head against his chest. “...I love you,” she muttered and felt him stiffen before hesitantly placing his arms softly on her back and head.

As he began to thread his fingers through her long, curly brown hair, he remembered the time he had made her get rid of the fiery redness. He had always regretted the feeling of disappointment when she looked at him, but it had to be done. Whenever they had gone on a trip or stayed somewhere, her bright red hair would rub off on car seats, motel pillows, and just about everything she laid her head on.

He was brought back to the present by the feeling of Aubrey trying to wiggle out of his grip. He let her go, reluctantly, but not before putting his hand on each side of her face and placing his forehead on hers. “Love you too, punkin’,” he replied, a small smile gracing his face. He finally let go and looked at his child one last time. Although she didn't smile back, he could see that she felt less stiff than before.

Not one second later, she was gone and out the door. Victoria sighed and mumbled a quiet thanks, then she was gone as well. And Ned was all alone.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they pulled into the long driveway of their home, Aubrey’s mom flicked the lights off of the car before sighing. “Well, that could have gone better,” her mother said with a defeated tone. She looked over to Aubrey with a small smile, to which Aubrey did not return. She was still staring out the window, silent as a mouse as she had been throughout the entire ride home. Aubrey’s mom laid a hand on her thigh, not smiling anymore. “Hey,” she said softly, “let's go inside.”

Aubrey finally moved to open her door, without a house key, mind you, and without a word and shut it. She began to walk toward their home but felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at her mom staring at her with concerned eyes before she cracked a grin and held up the forgotten keys. “Missing something?”

They got into the house successfully and Aubrey made a B-line to the bathroom, mumbling some excuse about needing to get ready for bed. Victoria was at a loss when she suddenly perked up and ran off.

When Aubrey arrived at the bathroom, she slammed the door and put her back on it. She sighed and slowly slid down the door until her knees were in front of her face. Her hands were subconsciously wrapped around her stomach as if trying to make her smaller. Had her Dad really thought that throughout her entire life? He had always seemed so supportive and encouraging, taking what she thought was interest in her career choices. Aubrey let out a shuddering breath and slowly unwrapped herself from the cocoon she had trapped herself in.

Standing up, Aubrey walked over to the sink and turned it on so that of her mother was to hear, she would think that she was brushing teeth. After about thirty seconds she shut off the water and quietly opened the bathroom door, making her way to her bedroom. As she climbed into bed she heard a knock on the door. Even though Aubrey did not give permission (she didn't say anything), the door slowly creaked open, her mom walking in with her hands behind her back. Aubrey rolled over.

“Aubrey, hun, you can't avoid me forever,” her mom said with an airy chuckle.

“Yes, I can,” responded the muffled voice of Aubrey, her face shoved into a pillow.

“She speaks!” Her mother said with a cheeky grin before her face morphed into something of concern when Aubrey did not respond. “Aubrey,” her mother questioned, “please tell me what's bothering you. Maybe if you tell me I can help?”

When Aubrey continued to be silent, her mother jutted out her lower lip and walked away looking defeated. Gosh dang, it mom.

Aubrey sighed once more and sat up, “Mom, you can stop playing the role of a kicked puppy now,” and with that, her mother twirled around, a huge grin on her face.

Taking her place beside Aubrey's bed, her mother stared at her with kind eyes, waiting expectantly for her to ‘Spill the beans’. Aubrey hesitated for a minute before actually saying anything.

“...what if Dad was right? What if I don't belong out there? I thought I was making him proud by taking responsibility and choosing my own path, but when he looked at me he just seemed so...disappointed. Like I was being a burden by doing this,” Aubrey ranted, everything coming out at once.

Her mother looked at her silent, waiting for her to continue. When she didnt, her mom looked at her sympathetically.

“Look, Aubrey, I know your father can come off as-” she grits her teeth,”- disheartening, but in the end, he will always be your father. He loves you and would do absolutely anything for you. He just says stuff like that because he's concerned for you. The world is a big place, Muffin, and your just a small pawn in the scheme of things.”

She smiled and patted Aubrey's leg. As she stood up, she felt the cold metal of her necklace on her collarbone. Her eyes widened before they turned warm. Aubrey's eyes started watering as her mom gave her the family air loom.

For once in her life, she felt content. Little did she know it would all come crashing down a few nights later.


	2. We all fall down

Thursday 2:13 AM, (Four days since the dinner)

Aubrey woke up to the sound of soft footsteps from the down-stairs hallway.. She glanced over at her alarm clock and, to her surprise, it was only 2:13 AM. Her mom was definitely asleep, as she was a heavy sleeper and would never get up in the middle of the night. Aubrey pulled back her sheets and quietly tip-toed out of her room.

As she stepped out, she heard a soft crash followed by a near-silent curse. Automatically, Aubrey was on high alert. She now not only knew that it wasn't her mother but was also graced with the knowledge that someone was in her house and stealing things. She crept over to the railing of the nearest staircase and peered over. It was too dark to see much and Aubrey didn't want to disturb her mother if it was her.

Unfortunately, she failed to notice the small puddle on the ground where her mother had spilled a cup of water and forgotten to pick it up. This led to her slipping on it and slamming her head into the railing, deeming her almost immediately unconscious.

The first thing Aubrey noticed as she regained her senses was how hot it was. She could feel the slick sweat trickling down her back. Her eyes snapped open, only now noticing the smoke in the back of her throat, and she sprang up. Without any hesitation, Aubrey ran to her room and slammed the door open, locking eyes with Dr. Harris Bonkers. Scooping him up, she sprinted to the front door. Her mind was spinning and she couldn't focus. She had never run as fast in her life.

Grabbing the handle of the door, Aubrey immediately yanked her hand back with a hiss, a burn lingering on her hand. Without noticing, tears had begun to leak from her eyes. She was terrified.

She started to panic and throw things at the door. When nothing worked, she began to ram herself into the door.

A loud BANG! came from the door as she rammed herself into it. Nothing. BANG! Nothing. BANG! Nothi-

Crack! A relieved sob sprang from her mouth as the door got a small splinter in it. She continued to kick the door until it was fully open and ran out. She started to cough and couldn't stop, the feeling of smoke lingering on her tongue. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up in surprise to find a concerned officer. “Huh-” She thought to herself. Looking around, she noticed the area of her house was surrounded by flashing police cars and the loud wailing sirens of fire trucks. Silently, she thanked her concerned neighbors.

“Hey,” he said in a soft and calming tone, “everything okay?”

Aubrey tried to answer but all that came out was a small and pitiful wheeze. In the background, officers and firefighters were running around, trying to block people from the scene and put out as much of the flames as they could.

Suddenly, horror dawned on her as she remembered. Her Mom was still in there.

“Hey, HEY WAIT-” yelled the officer as Aubrey shoved Dr. Harris Bonkers into his hands and propelled herself forward back towards the house. Never had she ever felt the fear that ran through her body as she re-entered that house. Someone she loved was in danger. Her Mom was in danger.

Scrambling through the building, Aubrey attempted to navigate her way through the thick smoke that poured through every crevice. She only managed to stay conscious by the collar of her tee that was covering her nose and mouth.

“Mom!”

“Mom?!”

“MOM WHERE ARE YO-”

Her yells were interrupted by a sharp intake of smoke, causing her to choke on the thick air. Every call for her mom made her hope to find her lessen. The desperation behind each yell was enough to make Aubrey herself tear up as she realised it was a wild goose chase. Tears streamed down her face and she did nothing to stop them.Her legs gave out and she fell to the burning ground.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud scraping noise that came from above her.

“...mom?”

Aubrey slowly raised her head to the sky and her eyes widened. The foundation of the roof had been all but destroyed by the flames, leaving only a few boards to hold it up. The roof was in the process of cracking in half right over Aubrey. For a few moments, everything was quiet in Aubrey's terror. “I'm going to die in here, aren't I?” Where the only words running through her head.

The roof finally cracked under pressure and crashed down, collapsing in. Aubrey managed to duck away enough that her body was out of the way. Breathing heavily, She looked back at the mess and took a shuddering breath. Had she not moved she would have been crushed under the weight of her own house.

She attempted to stand up, but collapsed when white hot searing pain shot up her leg, causing her to cry out. “Shit..” she muttered as she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to focus on the ragged rise and fall of her chest but inevitably failing due to pain.

After a few moments the pain had mostly subsided, leaving a dull throb. Aubrey looked around and after she found a broken piece of wood that she deemed sturdy enough, she pushed herself to her feet and began to limp forward.

She began frantically limping around her house in rounds, the adrenalin in her veins was the only thing keeping her awake at this point and she didn't want to give up on her mother now.

The heat was closing in on her and she was struggling to breathe. She felt burns all over her body and she could have sworn a chunk of her hair was missing.

Crunch

Aubrey felt her heart stop, because there under her feet, where the charred remains of her

“MOM!”  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that is that! I hope this chapter wasn't too rushed, because i tend to write on whatever comes to my mind at that moment. But anyway, I might do the robbery from Ned's perspective if it. I'm not the best writer and I'm pretty new to it so constructive criticism is always welcome!


	3. Aftermath, and rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aubrey moves on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM BACK BITCHES >:D  
> I'm so sorry this took so long to write, I had a good rhythm going and then it all just went down th drain and i had like, no motivation.  
> BUT I WANT TO CHANGE THAT   
> I know Amnesty is over but I still really like this fics idea, and I would like to come back and update this more  
> So expect more content soon! I hope you like this, even though its a little short lol

The days after felt numb for Aubrey. Her whole world had crashed down, yet she felt nothing. It was almost as if her brain was convincing her that everything was fine, her Mom was at home, sipping tea in their living room and laughing at the stupid, STUPID things on the T.V. 

That was, until the funeral. The minute she walked up to the casket and peered at the slick wooden top covering her Moms charged, burnt up body. 

The illusion cracked in half.

Aubrey's eyes started to sting with tears and her hands started to shake. All of a sudden, a wave of grief crashed down on her, the weight of everything coming up. If only she'd been faster, if only she had woken up, if only she was in her place.

She didn’t realize she was running until her knees buckled underneath her, forcing her on the ground. A broken sob forced its way through her throat as tears streamed down her face and splashed on the grey tile. That was it.

Years went by, people came and went, and Aubrey moved on. No matter what she did, she could never shake the feeling that her Mom's death was her fault, but she has somewhat come to peace with it.

She changed, she cut and dyed her hair, she got a driver's license and traveled outside of the state. She was finally where she wanted to be, but at what price? Since that night she tried not to think about it, but, as the years went by, she didn't have to. 

Some people say trauma is a parasite, latching on and never letting go, making you suffer in the consequences of the past as if you could have done something, changed something. Everyone deals with that parasite differently, and in Aubrey's case, she forgot. She took everything that had put weight on her shoulders and threw it in the vast void of her brain. 

Sometimes people would ask her about her family, her past, and she couldn't tell them anything. It was all gone. It was how she wanted it to be, and Aubrey finally found her place in the world, making people smile with her goofy tricks and fluffy rabbit. 

Everything changed one day, though, when while packing up her van she spotted a job board in the center of a town she was performing at. She was loading up Dr. Harris’s cage when it caught her eye, and just at the right time. ‘Couldn’t hurt,’ she thought and started walking over. 

Eyes skimming the board, she started looking at the new posters, with fresh paper not yet destroyed by the rambunctious people of the town. All of them the same, just a normal town with the same gigs and nowhere for Aubrey. She was about to give up when suddenly, her eye caught a small, yellow paper corner, buried by years of advertisement.

Pulling it out, she looked at the faded and crumpled paper with interest, she read to the best she could. Some of the ink had been smeared due to rain and mistreatment, making some of the words unreadable. Luckily, she could read the basis, and from what she could tell, it was perfect. The town was small, almost in the middle of nowhere, and desperate. It was almost certain she would get the job, regardless of talent. But what most caught her eye was the little red text in the corner, almost invisible. Home to the mysterious Mothman! 

Smiling wide, she jogged back over to the van and pulled out of the parking lot. Once she was on the road, she turned her radio to a random channel and turned around in her seat to face the silver cage her rabbit was in. “Next stop, West Virginia!”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if I got stuff wrong, Its been a while since I've listened to previous episodes. I just want to clarify some things, in case they where unclear.
> 
> * In this au There are two Victorias'  
> * When Ned and Victoria got divorced, Victoria got custody of Aubrey and moved to a separate house.  
> * Ned has not seen Victoria's new house (This will be important later)  
> * Aubrey's hair is long and not red (This is also important for later)  
> * Aubrey is supposed to leave her house a few days after the dinner with ned and the argument  
> *Aubrey is a human UwU


End file.
